Chapter 107: Penny
I must’ve dozed off again.
It’s that weird in–between sleep where you’re aware of everything — the weight of your limbs, the dull ache in your skull, the way the blankets don’t feel quite right- but you’re too tired to move.
Voices drift up from downstairs.
“Hi!”
“How was your conference?”
“How was your little lovers‘ trip?”
“Boys! Nice to see you again!”
My eyes crack open.
The light in my room has dimmed. Evening’s creeping in, casting everything in soft golden shadows.
The voices make it real.
They’re here.
The Hayes.
Footsteps rush up the stairs – fast, familiar. I blink the sleep from my eyes and turn toward the door just as it swings open.
“Penny.”
Tyler.
–
He crosses the room in three long strides and leans over the bed to hug me tight tighter than I expected. His arms go all the way around me, pulling me against his chest like he needs to prove I’m still real.
I give him a sleepy smile as my arms loop weakly around his waist.
“Hey you,” I mumble.
“God,” he exhales into my hair. “I missed you.”
He pulls back just enough to see my face. His eyes scan my forehead, the bandage near my temple, the bruising near my neck. His expression darkens.
“How are you feeling?”
I shrug slightly. “Tired. My head hurts if I move too fast. I get dizzy. But better.”
He looks down.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you.”
I pause.
He goes on before I can speak.
“It’s not an excuse. But seeing you fall like that? It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever seen. I panicked. I threw up in the hallway. I just… couldn’t face you like that.”
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Chapter 107: Penny
I nod slowly. “I missed you,” I say quietly. “But I understand.”
He sits beside me on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand down his face.
“Apparently Luc threw up too,” I add after a moment.
He frowns. “Who?”
“Oh. Right. You haven’t met him officially. He’s the one who was lifting me remember him from that.”
when I fell. I think he screamed at people about the phone too? You probably
Tyler freezes. Just for a second.
Then he nods slowly. “Yeah. I remember.”
His voice is calm, but something about his body language changes. His posture stiffens. His jaw tightens.
“How’s he doing?” he asks, too casual.
“I texted him a little,” I say. “Not much. He’s okay, I think. Shaken up. He’s blaming himself.”
Tyler’s face hardens slightly. “Understandable. He dropped you.”
I shake my head, gentle but firm. “It wasn’t his fault. There’s a sign right outside the studio: Do not enter while music is playing. No phones. He wasn’t expecting to get distracted like that. None of us were.”
He doesn’t respond for a moment. Just nods again. A little too tightly.
Before I can say more, my mom’s voice calls up from downstairs.
“Penny, sweetie! Come down, everyone’s here!”
Tyler stands immediately and offers me his hand. “Let’s go.”
I hesitate. Then slide my hand into his.
His grip is warm. Familiar.
Tyler leads me down the stairs slowly, our hands still linked. His grip is careful, but steady. I know he’s watching every step I take, probably worried I’ll faint or stumble or disappear again.
The smell of cinnamon and roasted coffee beans greets us as we hit the landing. My mom’s baking something sweet, probably the lemon loaf she pulls out for “special company.” There are extra mugs out on the kitchen counter. The lights are soft and golden, the room warm.
I see them before they see me.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes.
They’re standing near the dining table
–
and the moment they look up and see me, their faces change.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Mrs. Hayes breathes.
She rushes across the room before I can brace for it, her arms wrapping around me in a hug that’s tight but somehow still gentle. She smells like lavender dryer sheets and bakery vanilla.
Mr. Hayes isn’t far behind. He waits for her to pull back, then takes my shoulders with his big, warm hands and gives me a look that makes my throat tighten.
“You scared us, Penny.”
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Chapter 107: Penny
“I’m okay,” I say softly, almost smiling. “Really.”
Mrs. Hayes cups the side of my head
not hard, just enough to tilt it and see the bruises near my temple.
“Look at this,” she murmurs. “Oh, baby.”
She touches my hair like she’s smoothing down feathers.
It makes me laugh- just a little. “I promise, I’m fine. I’ve had worse bruises during rehearsals.”
They fuss a little longer, but I let them. It’s… nice, in a way I wasn’t expecting. Their warmth feels real. Like they’re not just being polite. Like Factually
matter.
Then Mrs. Hayes steps back, and I finally glance over her shoulder-
And see him.
Asher.
He’s sitting in one of the armchairs near the fireplace, arms folded loosely over his chest, black t–shirt stretched tight across his shoulders. His boots are planted wide, posture lazy – but there’s nothing relaxed about him. He’s watching me.
Just watching.
The second our eyes meet, he nods.
I lift my hand in a small wave. Quick. Careful. My heart skips a beat.
But then my mom’s voice cuts in.
“Go sit down, sweetie. We’ll get coffees for everyone.”
Tyler guides me to the couch, his hand still on my back. My mom disappears into the kitchen with Mrs. Hayes in tow. Mr. Hayes follows with a polite murmur about cream and sugar.
And just like that-
It’s me.
Tyler.
Asher.
And silence.
It’s not empty. It’s heavy. Like a stone in the middle of the room, dragging all the oxygen down with it.
I clear my throat.
“So…” I glance toward the kitchen, then back to the Hayes parents‘ empty chairs. “How was your trip?”
Mrs. Hayes perks up from the other room. “Oh, sweet girl, don’t even think about that right now.”
“No, really,” I say, trying to keep my voice light “I should’ve asked sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t
when you came back, I mean.”
Mr. Hayes leans his head back through the kitchen doorway. “You’ve been a little busy, Penelope. We understand.”
Mrs. Hayes laughs. “It was lovely. Too, expensive, of course. But we ate everything in sight. Slept late. Went on a few bikes. My husband here almost twisted his ankle on a boulder.”
Chapter 107: Penny
“That boulder came out of nowhere,” Mr. Hayes mutters.
She waves him off and keeps going. “I nearly cried over the hotel sheets. They were that soft. I told him we should change careers and jett leve in s
“You said you wanted to live in a vineyard.”
“I can want two things,
They banter lightly from the kitchen while spoons clink and a kettle whistles. I giggle, loving the way they sound.
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